Guidelines for using contracted external ... - …

1 Guidelines for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K 6 Guidelines for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 20082 AcknowledgementGuidelines for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportPrepared by the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) NSW for the NSW Premier s Council for Active Living (PCAL)November 2008 For further information contact: NSW Premier s Council for Active Living Level 3, 80 William Street, Sydney NSW 2011 Phone: (02) 9219 2438 Fax: (02) 9219 2424 Copies of this report are available at used in this publication are courtesy of the NSW Department of Education and Training Australian Better Health Initiative: A joint Australian, State and Territory government initiativeGuidelines for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 20083 SummaryClass teachers are best placed to provide and supervise physical education and sport for students as this enables a holistic delivery of the curriculum.

2 They are also better able to meet the individual needs of students. However, some schools may choose to contract an external provider to enhance these activities. A provider of this type might run a weekly physical education program, conduct sport sessions, or be involved in students physical activity in some other Guidelines are designed to help school Principals (or relevant people eg Head of Junior school or nominated school executive) decide whether or not they want to hire an external provider. If they choose to engage an external provider, the Guidelines may be used by Principals to make decisions about which provider to select. There are four parts to the Guidelines :Background1. The benefits of physical activity, and the role schools can play in encouraging students to be physically a provider2. A checklist of criteria to consider when hiring an external provider, such as qualifications, insurance cover and equipment. It is not essential that a provider meet every one of these criteria, but they are all highly desirable, and a good provider should be prepared to meet them of the school3.

3 A checklist of responsibilities a school should meet when hiring an external provider, such as child protection, supervision by teachers, and consulting with parents and caregivers about the proposed use of a provider, the cost involved and determining whether or not the school community can information4. A list of organisations and resources that schools may choose to for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 200841. Background The school s role in promoting physical activityThe benefits of physical activityCommunities are increasingly recognising the personal, social and health benefits of an active lifestyle. For children, regular moderate or vigorous physical activity can:Reduce depression and anxiety Build self-confidence and self-esteem Combat chronic disease Help manage weight and prevent obesity Strengthen the heart and lungs Build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, and Promote better sleep patterns.

4 Despite these known benefits, today many children are spending considerable time in sedentary activities such as watching television, playing computer games and travelling in cars. Urban design has meant that many children do not have regular access to backyards, playgrounds, cycleways and other recreation areas. Children s opportunities to participate in regular physical activity can be further reduced by community perceptions about safety and child protection. Because of these concerns some parents and caregivers place greater emphasis on supervised, structured physical activity (eg training for a sporting team) and less emphasis on unsupervised, unstructured physical activity (eg playing in a park). Some structured physical activity may incur costs, which may limit access and / or opportunity for some for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 20085 The school s roleSchools can provide a supportive environment that enhances the health outcomes of children.

5 They can give students the chance to be involved in physical activity that is supervised yet challenging, and to build physical skills in a non-threatening environment. In doing this, schools can play an important role in developing a positive attitude to healthy lifestyles among NSW Board of Studies Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-6 Syllabus identifies that children should be physically active every day in as many ways as they can. Similarly, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing recommends that children from 5 to 12 years of age:Need at least 60 minutes (and up to several hours) of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day Should spend no more than two hours per day using electronic media (computer games, television, internet, etc.) for entertainment, especially during daylight 2005, the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Active school Curriculum initiative requires all primary and secondary schools to include in their curriculum at least two hours of physical activity for students each school an external providerIn schools, structured and planned physical activity occurs most commonly as part of the physical education and sport programs.

6 While the class teacher is best placed to deliver these programs, some schools may choose to engage a contracted external provider to enhance the physical education and / or sport program. In some instances teachers may also see this as a professional learning opportunity to develop their teaching for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 20086 Schools should consider carefully why they are employing an external provider to deliver parts of the curriculum, especially if asking parents and caregivers to pay an additional fee for this service. Schools must also be aware of their responsibilities regarding hiring external providers. In particular, non-government schools should consider relevant registration requirements as set out in either the NSW Board of Studies (BOS) Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual or Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual.

7 Advice on this can be obtained from the local BOS Liaison Officer. The responsibilities are detailed in Part 3 of these Guidelines , but in brief they include the following:All appropriate child protection procedures must be addressed. The provider should have relevant insurance policies and provide a certificate of currency for each. Non-government schools should consider relevant BOS registration requirements. Schools should seek legal advice before signing a contract with the provider. Each school should meet its sector s requirements regarding any request to sign an indemnity form (eg Principals of government schools must not sign any indemnity form. In the non-government sector Catholic school Principals need to consult their school authority before signing an indemnity form, and in independent schools only Principals have the authority to make decisions about signing an indemnity form).Duty of care, supervision and student assessment responsibilities remain with the class teacher.

8 No child should be excluded because they cannot afford to pay for a program that addresses mainstream PDHPE curriculum outcomes and content, eg games, dance and program should be an opportunity for teachers to undertake professional learning to develop their skills in this for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 20087 About these guidelinesThese Guidelines refer to situations where schools plan to engage a contracted external provider to deliver physical education or sport programs. They do not apply to situations where volunteers or people who are paid an honorarium are engaged in similar activities. An external provider is a company, association or organisation that operates on a fee-for-service basis. This applies whether or not a school enters into a formal contract / agreement with the Guidelines should not be taken as an endorsement of external provision of physical activity within schools.

9 They are meant to help Principals make decisions about enhancing the curriculum requirements of physical education and / or sport by ensuring that better education practice is reflected in a quality curriculum outcomes based program offered by the external provider. Principals should therefore use these Guidelines not just to help choose a provider, but to inform their decision whether or not to use a for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sportFor schools with students in Years K-6 State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 200882. Choosing a providerA checklist of criteria to considerIt is not essential that a contracted external provider meets every one of these criteria, but they are all highly desirable, and a good provider should be prepared to meet them of focusIs the external provider prepared to:Yes/NoLegal and safety requirementsProvide proof of relevant qualifications and experience of staff?

10 Have professional indemnity, public liability and worker s compensation insurance policies and provide a copy of a certificate of currency for each?Provide documentation of business registration, including an ABN?Provide a risk assessment to enable the program to be customised to meet the needs of the students, school community and environment? Ensure that all equipment and activities used in the lessons are safe for students?Program deliveryOperate from either a physical education program with demonstrated links to the K-6 PDHPE syllabus or a sport program?Use a range of student-centred approaches to teach physical education and / or instruct school sport?Provide appropriate activities to meet the stage of development and learning needs of each student?Provide alternative activities for students who cannot participate because of illness or injury?Use sufficient equipment to ensure all students are actively engaged in learning throughout the lesson?Checklist continues over page.